It’s a Wednesday morning. You’re awakened by something bright, something glistening between your window blinds. What could it be? As you pull yourself from bed, you note its warming properties and orb-like structure. Seriously, though, what is it?

Is it the sun?

It is the sun.

The sun has emerged from its cloudy slumber, and you watch with incredulous awe as the sky turns a brilliant, fluorescent blue. Your shed your long johns and your fleece hoodie. You leave for school in clothes that bare more pale skin than you can even remember having. And you return home, at the end of the day, with your shoulders a lovely salmon shade.

Seemingly harmless, but not actually harmless.

Melanoma is the most commonly diagnosed skin cancer in the nation, and this is largely due to the unawareness people have of how damaging UV rays really are to the skin. Dark tans and bikinis look good on magazine pages, but don’t let yourself be fooled. Too much tanning will damage your skin. Melanoma rears its ugly head in the form of small, innocent-looking moles, but if they become asymmetrical or grow in size, it’s important to get them examined.

It’s even more important to prevent this cell mutation in the first place. Do so by purchasing sunscreen in an SPF suitable to your skin tone and ethnicity. Applying sunscreen once or twice a day could literally save your skin.

Stay safe in the sun this summer, Patriots!